{"title":"Don L Hofsommer","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"grand-trunk-corporation-book-don-l-hofsommer-9780870134067","title":"Grand Trunk Corporation","description":"The Detroit, Michigan-based Grand Trunk Corporation was established more than two decades ago by Canadian National to oversee and maximize the potential of its railroad holdings in the United States. By making use of corporate records, oral histories, and archival material, Hofsommer uncovers the interesting and complex history of the Grand Trunk from its inception in 1971 through 1992. Grand Trunk Corporation is complete in its detail, giving new insight into the turbulent era of deregulation, free trade, repositioning of basic industry, and the realities of the new economic order along with Canadian National's expectations for all three railroads: Grand Trunk Western, Central Vermont, and Duluth, Winnipeg \u0026amp; Pacific.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50294582083857,"sku":"CIN087013406XVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/087013406X.jpg?v=1750819188"},{"product_id":"minneapolis-and-the-age-of-railways-book-don-l-hofsommer-9780816645022","title":"Minneapolis and the Age of Railways","description":"With the recent revitalization of the Minneapolis Warehouse District and the surge in construction of condominiums and other buildings near the banks of the Mississippi, the landscape of the city seems to change almost daily. Not so long ago, however, this newly desirable area was blanketed by railroads serving the lumber and flour mills and other industries powered by the enormous Falls of St. Anthony.  In Minneapolis and the Age of Railways, Don Hofsommer presents Minneapolis from the 1860s into the 1950s, when railroads served as a unique link between city and countryside. Rails carried wheat and helped make Minneapolis the flour milling capital of the world; brought logs to Minneapolis to be processed into lumber that built towns and farms across the prairies; and delivered coal and all manner of manufactured goods and merchandise to Minneapolis, to its vast hinterland to the north and west, and beyond to the Rockies and the Pacific, making the growth of America’s northern heartland possible.  Railroads also provided efficient, long-distance transportation for hundreds of thousands of people who traveled via Minneapolis. The Milwaukee Road and Great Northern passenger terminals in Minneapolis were vibrant places—the heart of the city—pumping passengers, mail, and express parcels into the nation’s steel-rail cardiovascular system.  Illustrated with more than 200 period photographs and maps detailing the city and the tracks that crossed it, this remarkable book reflects a time not so long ago when the locomotive dominated the landscape and set the tempo for the nation—the age of railways.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50369273397521,"sku":"CIN0816645027G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0816645027.jpg?v=1764844184"},{"product_id":"minneapolis-and-st-louis-railway-book-don-l-hofsommer-9780816651320","title":"The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway","description":"The ultimate pictorial history of the midwestern railway M\u0026amp;StL    In this photographic history of the Minneapolis \u0026amp; St. Louis Railway (M\u0026amp;StL), railroad historian Don L. Hofsommer revives the memory of a storied regional railroad.      The Minneapolis \u0026amp; St. Louis Railway was created on May 26, 1870, by a group of Minnesota investors interested in establishing a railroad connection between Minneapolis and the agricultural regions to the south. While not flashy, the M\u0026amp;StL served Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Illinois over nine decades and was essential in opening new territory, providing freight as well as passenger carriage, and employing thousands of people.     Rich in illustrations, this is not just a chronicle of a railroad but also a story and a record of a way of life in the rural upper Midwest. A must-have for readers who fondly remember the Tootin' Louie as well as rail fans, history buffs, and model railroaders in general.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50683821621521,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50683823325457,"sku":"CIN0816651329G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0816651329.jpg?v=1764845554"},{"product_id":"steel-trails-of-hawkeyeland-book-don-l-hofsommer-9780253345158","title":"Steel Trails of Hawkeyeland","description":"\"Steel Trails of Hawkeyeland offers a comprehensive examination of railroads in Iowa from the introduction of the iron horse to the present. It is more than a study of a single, albeit significant American state. Hofsommer superbly relates local events to the national picture. His is a 'one-of-a-kind' volume.\" —H. Roger Grant, author of Follow the Flag: A History of the Wabash Railroad Company  In the time of jet airplanes and interstate highways, the Internet and e-commerce, it is difficult to comprehend and appreciate the impact that railroads had on Iowa's landscape—in terms not just of transportation service and economic development, but of political, social, and cultural linkage as well. Railroads helped to define the character of America, and that certainly was the case in Iowa. Pioneer lines penetrated the interior from established Mississippi River communities during the state's early railroad era, and later opened up huge tracts for agricultural opportunity as well as urban development.  A wide-ranging survey of Iowa's railroad experience, Steel Trails of Hawkeyeland offers a snapshot of a fascinating and critically important element in the state's history, and emphasizes the tight symbiotic relationship between Iowa and its railways. Packed with more than 250 photographs, this is a thorough and engaging book.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51000594661649,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51000597086481,"sku":"NIN9780253345158","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51694952546577,"sku":"CIN0253345154G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0253345154.jpg?v=1763473397"},{"product_id":"iowa-s-railroads-book-don-l-hofsommer-9780253220738","title":"Iowa's Railroads","description":"At one point in time, no place in Iowa was more than a few miles from an active line of rail track. In this splendid companion volume to Steel Trails of Hawkeyeland (IUP, 2005), H. Roger Grant and Don L. Hofsommer explore the pivotal role that railroads played in the urban development of the state as well as the symbiotic relationship Iowa and its rails shared. With more than 400 black-and-white photographs, a solid inventory of depots and locations, and new information that is sure to impress even the most well-versed railfan, this detailed history of the state's railroads—including the Chicago \u0026amp; North Western, Cedar Rapids \u0026amp; Iowa City, and the Iowa Northern—will be an essential reference for railroad fans and historians, artists, and model railroad builders.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51000612061457,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51000613601553,"sku":"NIN9780253220738","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52606572790033,"sku":"CIN0253220734VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0253220734.jpg?v=1763480732"},{"product_id":"quanah-route-book-don-l-hofsommer-9781585440467","title":"The Quanah Route","description":"The Iron Horse forever changed the American West, from a wild frontier to a network of scattered settlements tied together by steel rails. Behind the romantic image of the galloping Iron Horse, however, lies a rich history of American business activity. Railway giants have dominated this history, but small companies such as the Quanah, Acme \u0026amp; Pacific Railway Company (QA\u0026amp;P), a short line that operated in four counties of northwestern Texas from near the turn of the century into the 1980s, had just as great an impact in their areas of operation as the giants did on the national scene. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe QA\u0026amp;P developed in an era when railroads were tightly regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas and the federal Interstate Commerce Commission. The in-depth historical analysis of an American short line railroad presented here is in essence the study of all such carriers in the era before deregulation. Fully illustrated with photographs and memorabilia, this volume covers the Quanah Route's birth, valiant struggle for life, and eventual demise in a changing regulatory and competitive environment. This then is a history not only of a railroad but also of its service area, particularly during one of the last great railroad construction booms, which took place in West Texas during the 1920s. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough the years of the QA\u0026amp;P's life, energetic men such as Sam Lazarus and Charles Sommer juggled political and financial concerns against the changing times, Lazarus making the deal by which the QA\u0026amp;P became a subsidiary of the St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) road. In the end, the good roads movement, trucking industry, and growing American passion for the private automobile spelled the end of the railroads' golden age as the prime carrier of passengers and products. As traced by Don L. Hofsommer in the full archives of the QA\u0026amp;P, the history of this short line railroad embodies the pulse and pathos of a place through the changing times of the twentieth century. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51037538418961,"sku":"NIN9781585440467","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51328745701649,"sku":"CIN1585440469VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52341878325521,"sku":"NLS9781585440467","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1585440469.jpg?v=1763224100"},{"product_id":"hook-and-eye-book-don-l-hofsommer-9780816644971","title":"The Hook and Eye","description":"Fearing the rapacious power of Chicago’s railroad system in the mid-1900s, Iowa Central Railway supporters fought for a north-south route across the state that would link Minneapolis and St. Paul with St. Louis. Such a route would put the needs of Iowa’s citizens first and provide transportation for the state’s agricultural and industrial trade.   Analyzing the origins, growth, and eventual dismantling of the Iowa Central Railway, which traversed the state from Ackley to Zearing and Mason City to Marshalltown, Don Hofsommer examines how this unremarkable, “plain vanilla” railway was an example of the life cycle of the American railroad industry. The Hook \u0026amp; Eye demonstrates its symbiotic relationship with its customers. Born in ambition but never rising far above its obscure origins, the Iowa Central eventually fell to outside competition from railroads based in greater metropolitan areas and was made part of the Minneapolis \u0026amp; St. Louis Railway in 1912.   Drawing the story from station records, annual reports, newspaper articles, and interviews with former employees, The Hook \u0026amp; Eye brings both the industry and human sides of railroading into sharp and memorable view.   Don L. Hofsommer is a native Iowan and professor of history at St. Cloud State University.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51079555547409,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51079556563217,"sku":"CIN0816644977G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0816644977.jpg?v=1763479245"},{"product_id":"iowa-route-book-don-l-hofsommer-9780253014672","title":"The Iowa Route","description":"The Burlington, Cedar Rapids \u0026amp; Northern Railway was an important part of the commercial life of the upper Midwest during the age of railways. Don L. Hofsommer uses the BC\u0026amp;N as the vehicle for his investigation of the birth, evolution, and disappearance of an important regional carrier, offering an inside look at the struggles of a small railway to stay relevant while railroad empires were being built. More than a bit player, the BC\u0026amp;N might have become even more important had plans gone forward to utilize its rails in a campaign to reach the Pacific. The struggle of the Cedar Rapids road and its corporate ancestors to place Minneapolis–St. Paul and St. Louis in competition with Chicago via a north\/south route forms a major part of the book's narrative, and the book also offers a history of the company's three-state service territory (Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota) from the dawn of the age of railways into the 20th century. The book includes more than 200 photographs selected from Hofsommer's extensive library of historic photographs documenting the history of the BC\u0026amp;N Railway.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51126529917201,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51126530146577,"sku":"NIN9780253014672","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51797125693713,"sku":"CIN0253014670G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0253014670.jpg?v=1763481988"},{"product_id":"off-the-main-lines-book-don-l-hofsommer-9780253008329","title":"Off the Main Lines","description":"In this visually stunning and comprehensive photographic essay, railroad historian and photographer Donovan L. Hofsommer records the end of branchline passenger service, the demise of electric railroads, the transition from steam to diesel power, as well as the end of common carrier freight service on the Colorado narrow gauge. Off the Main Lines carries readers along out-of-the-way railways in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Montana, and South Dakota to see the changes that occurred on these lines from the 1940s to the 1990s.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51324563685649,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51324566503697,"sku":"CIN0253008328VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53112574771473,"sku":"CIN0253008328G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53400025563409,"sku":"CIN0253008328A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0253008328.jpg?v=1761388409"},{"product_id":"missouri-railroads-book-don-l-hofsommer-9780253072856","title":"Missouri Railroads","description":"Missouri Railroads: A Modern Crossroads 1921-2023 delves into the rich history of Missouri's railroads during their second century. From the roaring 1920s, when opulent \"Limited\" passenger trains crisscrossed the state, to the tumultuous times of the Great Depression and World War II, this book captures the essence of an era.  As the postwar years unfolded, Missouri's railroads faced realignments and challenges. The mid-twentieth century witnessed shifts in routes, technologies, and passenger preferences. Against this backdrop, the book explores how the railroads adapted in the face of uncertainty. Stunning historical images - over 100 in color - breathe life into this transformative period and bring the story to the present day.   Missouri Railroads goes beyond the history of a single state and its railroads to illustrate Missouri's vital role in shaping American railroading. These railroad companies mirrored national trends, yet each twist and turn carries a distinct local flavor. Authors Don L. Hofsommer and Carlos A. Schwantes weave a captivating narrative that celebrates Missouri's contribution to the broader American story.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51597159399697,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":51597160022289,"sku":"NGR9780253072856","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51811387998481,"sku":"NIN9780253072856","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ LIKE_NEW \/ SBYB","offer_id":52888696717585,"sku":"CIN0253072859LN","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53340245426449,"sku":"CIN0253072859A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0253072859.jpg?v=1756348876"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-don-l-hofsommer.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}